Going green doesn’t need to be a costly affair: iShack

solar panel, retrofitted shack, energy efficiency, sustainability

retrofitted shack in the Western Cape proves that energy efficiency and sustainability doesn’t need to be a costly ordeal. A zinc shack dubbed the ‘iShack’ has been fitted with a solar panel on its roof which allows for three lights, a cellphone charger, and a motion sensor security light to operate from.

The walls of the iShack have been insulated with recycled cardboard boxes and sprayed with a fire retardant paint. Inside-out milk cartons have also been used on the exterior walls to reflect heat. The flooring of the shack has been bricked with bricks from a discarded landfill in the area.

The project has been funded by the National Research Foundation for the Sustainability Institute and Stellenbosch University, and is a result of 18 months worth of research.

Shack owner Nosango Plaatjie is excited about the new features and has immediately noticed a difference in the warmth of her new home.

 

> To read the full article click here.

 

*To find out more about sustainable development in Africa, visit the Sustain & Build Africa event in April 2013

 

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